Elstow - a place of History

Elstow, located on the southern edge of Bedford, has a long history, with settlements dating back at least to the Neolithic era.

For almost 500 years, it was home to a thriving Benadictine Nunnery and is still home to the Abbey Church.

Elstow is an oasis of tranquility, with an attractive village green - a good place for a picnic or for children to play. There are half-timbered 13th and 14th century cottages, and the Moot Hall - a unique medieval building, being a combined market-house and Manor courtroom.

Elstow's royal charter, to hold markets, dates back to the 11th century and it'sMay festivals may predate that by manycenturies. Images of such events, and other aspects of Elstow - ancient and modern - can be viewed at the Elstow Picture Archive.

Elstow was also the birthplace of the famous 17th century preacher and author, John Bunyan.

For hundreds, possibly thousands, of years, Elstow village has held a May Festival at the beginning of the month of May. These still take place - on the Saturday of the first May Bank holiday weekend.

Originally a pagan fertility rite and an opportunity for men and women to meet up in the spring, May festivals were appropriated by the Catholic church and made into a Christian event. Elstow Abbey was, like many others, granted a royal charter to hold huge commercial fairs here.

The fairs continued after the abolition of the abbeys and, in the 1600s, when the Puritan government banned maypoles Elstow ignored that and continued to hold their celebrations. Indeed, those events were almost certainly the original inspiration for John Bunyan's "Vanity Fair" in his world famous book "The Pilgrim's Progress".

The cattle and horse market moved, in 1900, to a purpose-built site, beside Bedford river.

From 1925 to 1965, the event was run by the village school and it attracted visitors from all over the world. To see photos from that time, visit our Picture Archive.

For more of the history of May Festivals, go to our Local History pages.

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